Paper bag with locking element having concealed ends



G. w. POPPE 2,868,436

PAPER BAG WITH LOCKING ELEMENT HAVING CONCEALED suns Jan. 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 30, 1956 4 INVENTOR.

.a'rramvsys ENDS G. w. POPPE Jan. 13, 1959 PAPER BAG WITH LOCKING ELEMENT HAVING CONCEALED 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 50, 1956 INVENTOR W 5: 9 TTORNEYS United States Patent PAPER BAG WITH LQCKING ELEMENT HAVIN CONCEALED ENDS George W. Poppe, Stroudsburg, Pa., assignor to Equitable Paper Bag Co., Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 30, 1956, Serial No. 581,736

9 Claims. (Cl. 229-77) This invention relates to bags made of flexible sheet material and having slits therein through which a locking element is inserted for holding the bag closed. In my co-pending application Serial Number 543,839, filed October 31, 1955, there is disclosed a bag having groups of slits through which a locking element is inserted to prevent opening of thebag, and the lockingelement has end portions with shoulders of substantially the same between the extending pointed ends of the locking element and the underlying surface of the bag.

It is an object of this invention to provide a construction operating on the same principal as disclosed in the co-pending patent application, but in which the ends of the locking element are no longer exposed. In some embodiments of the present invention, the end portions of the locking element are located under the flap of the bag, and in other embodiments the ends of the locking element are located within the bag when the parts are in their final assembled relation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bag having front and back panels, with or without flaps at the upper end of one or both of'the panels, and to provide groups of slits extending through the front and back panels, and the flap panel when present, for'weaving of the locking element entirely through the upper portion of the bag and back again; and to provide outer slits into which the end portions of the locking element are inserted so that they are no longer exposed in the final assembly.

It is a feature of the invention that the outer slits extend through less than all of the panels of the bag so that as each end portion of the locking element is inserted through one of the outer slits it contacts with an imperforate panel which serves as a stop to prevent the locking element from going entirely through the bag, and the locking element is located between this imperforate panel and the next adjacent slitted panel in the final assembly. I

It is another object of the invention to provide a bag having a flap at the top of one panel and slits through which fastening means secure the flap against the other panel with the ends of the locking element concealed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bag of the character indicated with an improved locking element having only one shoulder at each of its end portions for convenient manufacture of the locking elements from scrap material and with less material than formerly required for locking elements with arrowheads having two shoulders for each arrowhead.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the drawing forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

Figure l is an elevation showing a bag having a flap at its upper end and having the flap held in closed position by a locking element assembled with the bag in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary view of the structure shown in Figure 1 and with parts: of the panels broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction;

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged sectional View taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged sectional view on the line 44 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, with portions of the panels broken away, showing a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a sectional view through another modified form of the invention, the section being taken on the line 66 of Figure 7;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view showing the modified construction illustrated in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing another modified form of the invention;

Figure 9 is a sectional" view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view of a simplified modification for bags with flaps; and

Figure 11 is a sectional view of a line 11-11 of Figure 10.

Figure 1 shows a bag 10 made of flexible sheet material and preferably paper. The bag 10 is of the envelope type with front and back panels that meet at a fold along opposite edges of the bag, but. the invention is not limited to envelope types of bags.

' Figures 2-4 show the back panel designated by the reference character 13 and the front panel by the reference character 14. A flap 15 is of one piece construction with the back panel 13 and the flap folds across the top of the front panel 14 and then downwardly as illustrated. There is a group of slits 17 made up of registering slits in the panels 13, 14 and 15, and a corresponding group of slits 18 extending generally parallel to the group of slits 17 and transversely spaced from this first group of slits 17.

A locking element 20 is made of sheet material somewhat stiffer than the material of the bag 10. This locking element 20 extends through the group of slits 17,

then across the outside surface at the back of the bag.

and then forwardly through the group of slits 18. This weaving of the locking element 2th through the groups of slits 17 and 18 holds all of the panels of the bag together and prevents the bag from being opened while the locking element 20 is in place.

In the construction illustrated, the groups of slits 17 and are parallel to one anothenand it is a feature of the invention that they have at least substantial components of longitudinal extent lengthwise of the bag; but it is not necessary that the slits of the group 17 be parallel to the slits of the group 18. The flap panel 15 can be locked in closed position without having the groups of slits 17 and 18 extend through both the front and back of the bag and the extent of overlap of the edges of the sheet material along the seam 23 is indicated by the brace 25 (Figure 3). Greater or lesser laps may be used, and panel 14 is of two ply thickness where the edges of the sheet material overlap to form the seam 23. Some bags are made with a seam having an overlap which extends for a substantial portion of the transverse Width of the bag and in such cases there is an intermediate area of theseam where the overlapping edges of the sheet material are not secured together by adhesive. This provides, in effect, another compartment in the bag. While such .bags are not in common use, it will be understood that this invention can be applied to them, the wide seam being merely anextension of the two ply portion of the bag indicated by the reference character 25 in Figure 2.

In order to conceal the ends of the locking element 20, there are outer slits 28 and '29 spaced transversely from the inner groups of slits 17 and 18. These slits 28 and 29 are in the flap panel 15 only; and the end portions of the locking element are concealed between the front panel 14 and the flap panel 15 when the locking element 20 is in its final assembled relation with the bag 10.

The locking element 20 has an intermediate portion 30 which is of substantially less height than the height of the slits of the groups 17 and 18, and the heights of the slits 28 and 29. At opposite ends of this intermediate portion 31 there are end portions 31 and 32 which are preferably pointed for more convenient insertion through the slits. These end portions 31 and 32 have a maximum height which is substantially equal to the height of the slits 28 and 29. At the locations where each of the end portions 31 and 32 merge into the intermediate portion 30 of the locking element 20, there is a shoulder 33 (Figure 2) which catches on the edges of the slits 28 or 29 to prevent the locking element 28 from being pulled back after it has been inserted through the siit 28 or 29 far enough to move the shoulder past the s it.

Since the slits 28 and 23 are of a height equal to the maximum height of the locking element 20 at the shoulder 33, the shoulders can pass through the slits but the resilience of the paper causes the edges of the slits 28 and 29 to move inwardly behind the shoulder 33, as best shown for slit 28 in Figure 4. It will be evident that the paper of the flap panel 15 remains in a common plane when not displaced by the locking element 20, and after passage of the shoulder 33, which is the widest part of the locking element, the paper of the flap panel 15 tends to move more nearly into a common plane. Thus the acute angle between the displaced edges of the slit will remain as small as possible, and the lesser height of the intermediate portion 33 of the locking element 28 permits the edges of the slit to assume the positions shown in Figure 4 in back of the shoulder 33. If an attempt is made to pull the locking element 20 back through the slit, it will beevident that the shoulder will strike the edge face of the slit behind it, and this prevents the locking element from being pulled out.

Figure 5 shows a modified form of the invention in which the flap panel 15 is folded down between the rear panel 13 and the front panel 14. In this case the locking element 28 is put through the groups of slits 17 and 18 in the opposite direction to that illustrated in Figures l and 2. This leaves the ends of the locking element 21), after passing through the groups of slits 17 and 18, at the back of the bag instead of the front. There are slits in the back of the bag in register with the slits 28 and 29, and the end portions 31 and 32 of .the locking element are pushed through the slits in the back panel 13 and the registering slits 28 and 29 to locate these end portions between the panel flap 15 and the front flap 14 as shown in Figure 5.

In order to insert the locking element 29 through the various slits without requiring that the locking element be bent sharply, it is necessary to have the slits of group 17 spaced from the side of the bag, as illustrated by the dimension line I, and this distance I must be at least as long as the distance from the shoulder 33, of the end portion 32, to the tip of the opposite end portion 31. This makes it possible for the locking element 2t to be pushed far enough to the right in Figure 5, after the end portion 31 is in the bag, to permit the point of the end portion 33 back into a position from which it can enter the slit 28 and the registering slit in the back panel 13 when the locking element is moved the other way during the assembly of the locking element with the bag.

A greater variation in the manipulation of the locking element 20 can be obtained by having the distance 1 equal to the total length of the locking element 20. When such is the case the locking element can be in- ,serted through the group of slits 18 and through the outer slit 2.9 before being inserted through the other group of slits 17.

Figures 6 and 7 show another modification of the invention in which the panel 14 has a flap panel 38 which is generally similar to the flap panel 15 of the back panel 13. In the construction illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the flap panel 15 extends over and down the front of the front panel 14 and its flap panel 38.

In this construction shown in Figures 6 and 7, the groups of slits 17 and 18 extend through all of the panels and the outer slits 28 and 29 extend through the flap panel 15 only. This results in an assembly in which the end portions 31 and 32 of the locking element 20 are concealed between the front panels 15 and 38.

Figures 8 and 9 show a construction similar to that shown in Figure 5 except that the front panel 14 has a flap panel44 which is folded down into the inside of the bag. Instead of having the locking element extend through slits in both the back panel 13 and the flap panel 15, the construction shown in Figure 8 has slits 46 in the back panel 13 only. The flap panel 15 is imperforate at the locations where a locking element 20 comes-through the slits 46; and the flap panel 15 thus operates as a stop to'cause end portions 31 and 32 of the locking element 20 to slide in between the back panel 13 and the flap panel .15 where these end portions of the locking element are concealed in their final assembly of the bag and lock element.

The locking element 28 of Figures 8 and 9 is similar to the locking element 20, shown in the other figures in all respects except that the end portions 31 and 32 have differently shaped points. It will be understood that these end portions can be arrowheads which are symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center line of the intermediate portion 38' in which case there will be shoulders at the end of the arrowheads both above and below the intermediate portion 30' as in the case of co-pending patent application Serial Number 543,839.

From the embodiments of the invention thus far illustrated and described it will be apparent that various other combinations can be made utilizing the same principle whereby the groups of slits 17 and 18 permit weaving of the locking element through panels which are secured together by the locking element to maintain the bag closed;

and the outer slits permit the pointed ends of the locking element 20 to be inserted through one or more panels so as to be concealed behind a fiap or within the bag and without requiring that these insertions of the end portions serve any purpose in locking the bag closed though they may actually do so.

Figures 10 and 11 show a simplified construction for bags with a flap. In this modification'of the invention a bag'50 has a front panel 52 and a back panel 54. Another panel consisting of a flap 56 is of one-piece construction with the back panel 54 and extends across the top of and down the outside of the front panel 52.

This simplified modification, which can be used only on bags having flaps, has no groups of slits extending through all panels. It has slits 58 and 59 in the flap 56, and slits 61 and 62 in the front panel. A locking element 64' extends across the front of the flap and through the flap slits 58 and 59, and the front panel slits 61 and 62, to the interior of the bag 50. End portions 71 and 72 of the locking element 64 have shoulders that catch on the edges of the slits 61 and 62 respectively,

to prevent the locking element ,64 from being pulled out afterit is in assembled relation with the slits.

In place of the lockingelement 64, which has arrowheads and two shoulders at each end, the locking elements 20 and 20' of Figures 2 and 8, respectively, can be used.

In order to facilitate the entrance of the locking element into the slits 61 and 62 (Figure which are behind the flap 56, these slits 61 and 62 are preferably spaced from one another by a somewhat greater distance 6 than the spacing of the slits 58 and 59 from one another.

Instead of having the slits 61 and 62 in register with the flap slits 58 and 59, this additional spacing locates the panel slits 61 and 62 nearer the sides of the bag than are the flap slits 58 and 59; and this makes it practical to insert the pointed end of the locking element 64 through a flat slit 58 or 59 and into a panel slit 61 or 62 with the locking element at a small acute angle to the surface of the flap and front panel. This feature whereby the under slots are more widely spaced than the upper slots can be used with the embodiment of the invention shown in any of the figures of the drawing.

Other changes and modifications can be made and some features can be used in difierent combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bag made of flexible sheet material and having front and back panels constructed from a single sheet of material, a flap panel at the upper end of at least one of the other panels and folded downwardly, the bag having two groups of slits spaced from one another transversely of the bag, the slits having substantial components of extent lengthwise of the bag and each group of slits including registering slits in all of the panels, the bag also having outer slits spaced transversely from said groups of slits, the outer slits including at least one slit spaced from each group of slits and extending through at least one of the exposed panels at the level of the bag corresponding to the groups of the slits, another of the exposed panels being imperforate at the locations of the outer slits, and a locking element comprising a strip of stiffer material than the bag and'having a length greater than the transverse distance between the outer slits, the locking element having an intermediate portion of a height less than the height of the slits and end portions at opposite ends of the intermediate portion and of a height substantially greater than that of the intermediate portion and substantially equal to the height of the slits, the locking element having a shoulder where the end portions merge with the intermediate portion of said locking element for preventing the locking element from being pulled back after being inserted through the outer slits, the locking element being adapted to be woven through both groups of slits from the side of the bag opposite that on which there is the exposed surface having the outer slit-s therein so that the end portions of the locking element can be inserted through the outer slits and between the panel having the outer slits and an imperforate panel having no outer slits therein.

2. The bag described in claim 1 and in which the sheet material is paper and in which the outer slits include two groups of slits made up of substantialy registering slits in a plurality of the panels but less than the total number of panels so that the end portions of the locking element extend through several panels before reach- 7 ing an imperforate panel which serves as a stop and deflector and against which the end portions of the lock- 6 ing element rest when the locking element is in its final assembled position with respect to the bag.

3. The bag described in claim 1 and in which the sheet material is paper and the flap at the upper end of one panel passes across the top of another panel and downwardly outside of the other panel, and in which the outer slits are in the flap and the end portions of the locking element extend through said outer slits and are located between the flap and the panel over which the flap folds when the locking element is assembled with the bag.

4. The bag described in claim 1 and in which the sheet material is paper and there is a flap at the upper end of one of the panels folded downwardly between the front and back panels of the bag and within the bag, and in which the outer slits extend through the panel having the flap and through the flap so that the other panel serves as the stop and deflector with which the ends portions of the locking element contact when inserted through the outer slits, and the end portions of the locking element are located between the flap and the panel opposite that to which the flap is connected when the locking element is in assembled relation with the bag.

5. The bag described in claim 1 and in which the sheet material is paper and there are flaps at the upper ends of both the front and back panels, and these flaps are folded inwardly so that both flaps are within the bag, and in which the outer slits extend through only one of the panels and the end portions of the locking element are located between that panel and its flap when the locking element is in assembled relation with the bag.

6. The bag described in claim 1 and in which the sheet material is paper and the bag is made with a longitudinal seam connecting opposite edges of the sheet material, the seam extending lengthwise of the bag along one of the panels and the longitudinal edges of the seam overlapping for a predetermined distance and giving the panel a two ply thickness for the transverse distance across which the edges of the sheet material overlap to form the seam.

7. The bag described in claim 1 and in which the locking element has pointed end portions for insertion through the slits, and there is only one shoulder at the location where each of the end'portions join the intermediate portion of the locking element, the shoulder of each end portion being along the same edge of the intermediate portion as the shoulder of the other end portion.

8. A bag made of flexible sheet material and having front and back panels and a third panel consisting of a flap attached to the back panel and folded downwardly to extend along a limited longitudinal extent of a surface of the front panel, and a locking element made of sheet material and having an intermediate portion and having an end portion at each end of said intermediate portion, each of the end portions being of greater height than the intermediate portion and having at least one shoulder facing toward the intermediate portion, two of the panels having slits therein adjacent to one another and each with a substantial component of longitudinal extent, the slits being a height at least as great as the height of the end portions of the locking element for receiving the locking element, and the innermost of the slits being of substantially the same height as the end portion of the locking element whereby the shoulder catches on the edge of the innermost slit to resist withdrawing of the locking element, after it has been inserted far enough to bring the shoulder beyond said slit, the third panel being imperforate in the region of the innermost slit and serving as a stop for deflecting the end portion of the locking element when said end portion is insertedthrough the slits in the other panels in a direction toward the third panel, said other panels also having other slits therein forreceiving the other end portion of the locking element, the third panel being imperforate in a region that deflects said other end portion of the locking element when inserted through said other slits.

9. In a bag of flexible sheet material having a plurality of panels including front and back panels and a flap panel which is folded down over an area of the front panel, the flap panel having slits therein at locations spaced from one another across the flap panel, and the front panel also having slits therein under the slits in the flap panel for receiving a locking element woven inward through the slits in both panels at one location and outward through the slits in both panels at another location to lock the flap in closed position, the improvement which comprises endportions on the locking element wit: shoulders at the inner ends of said end portions, the panels including at least one outside panel having other slits therein more widely spaced from one another than the slits through: which the locking element is woven, said other slits being spaced from one another by a distance at least as small as the spacing of said shoulders from one another, the panel under said: other slits having an imperforate face confronting said other slits and in position to deflect the end portions of the locking element in directions parallel to the panels between which they are located when inserted through said other slits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 920,393 Rittenhouse May 4, 1909 1,787,925 Wilkins Ian. 6, 1931 2,004,098 Andrews June 11, 1935 2,023,855 Rosenfeld v Dec. 10, 1935 2,652,971 McFarland et a1. Sept. 22 1953 2,726,804 Poppe Dec. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 480,707 France June 16,1916 535,463

France Jan. 25, 1922 

